Most binding systems for attaching a rider to a snowboard or other gliding board apparatus rely on one or more straps to hold the rider's boot securely in the binding system. For example, a typical strap-type binding includes a toe strap that extends over the toe of the rider's boot, and an instep or ankle strap that generally extends over the instep and/or ankle portion of the boot.
In a common exemplary snowboard binding the ankle strap is pivotably attached on one side of the binding with a relatively narrow mounting strap that extends upwardly at an angle from binding structure. The mounting strap engages one side of a middle strap portion. The middle strap portion may be contoured and padded, and overlies the boot. The middle strap portion may include a buckle, such as a ratchet-type buckle, that adjustably engages an attachment strap pivotably mounted to the binding, generally opposite the mounting strap. Typically, the attachment strap is a so-called ladder strap having a number of transverse teeth or ridges that are adapted to engage the buckle.
The ankle strap holds the rider's boot securely in the binding structure. Of course, in snowboarding and other gliding board sports the rider's control over the snowboard is generally affected through the rider's connection to the snowboard through the boots and bindings.
Snowboarding is a vigorous and energetic sport, and it will be appreciated that a rider will exert very significant forces to the snowboard through the boots and bindings, repeatedly and over a significant period of time. It is therefore critical that the interface between the rider and the board, and in particular the interface between the rider's boots and the snowboard, be secure and comfortable, as well as facilitating the rider's efforts to control the snowboard, perform tricks and the like.
The ankle strap is an important part of the interface between the rider and the snowboard or other gliding board. Improvements in ankle straps are therefore clearly important to gliding board sports.